MOT plus a new toy...
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 10:46 am
I took Lily to Hutton Brothers as usual for her MOT on Monday - other than an advisory on tyre tread levels it was a straight clean pass
While I was there I was shown a Celebration (red, of course, but you can't have everything - grey would have been perfect!) that they had just taken in trade for a C30 - not in excellent nick but generally not too bad at all. As you know I have been pondering the idea of another 480 for some time; I'd have had Martin's if things had been right when his was available. Anyway, went back yesterday for another look, and bought it.
Have been allowed to leave her there for the moment as I have nowhere to put it, so I'll put up some photos as soon as I get her home in a week or so - the C70 has to go up to Mum's to make space.
It's an oddity though since it is definitely a Celebration (the specs are bag on and I also have the original sales paperwork) but it has no numbered plaque and no sign of it ever having been fitted. I know that when these were sold the dealers were supplied with the plaques separately and fitted then to the cars on sale (ie they didn't come out the factory with the numbers allocated) so perhaps the original owner didn't want it put on? Or, I have also heard rumours that more than 480 Celebrations, actually, made there way onto the market so some got through without numbers. Anyone got any thoughts? I intend to contact Mill Garages in Stockton but I am not hopeful of them having detailed records back to September 1995...
My plan is to swap over to Lily anything that is in better condition (primarily the headlining which is perfect, whereas Lily's is sagging a little bit in places) and clean/do her up generally - the main thing at the moment though is it means I can keep driving a 480 through the winter when Lily is safely tucked up in bed...
David
While I was there I was shown a Celebration (red, of course, but you can't have everything - grey would have been perfect!) that they had just taken in trade for a C30 - not in excellent nick but generally not too bad at all. As you know I have been pondering the idea of another 480 for some time; I'd have had Martin's if things had been right when his was available. Anyway, went back yesterday for another look, and bought it.
Have been allowed to leave her there for the moment as I have nowhere to put it, so I'll put up some photos as soon as I get her home in a week or so - the C70 has to go up to Mum's to make space.
It's an oddity though since it is definitely a Celebration (the specs are bag on and I also have the original sales paperwork) but it has no numbered plaque and no sign of it ever having been fitted. I know that when these were sold the dealers were supplied with the plaques separately and fitted then to the cars on sale (ie they didn't come out the factory with the numbers allocated) so perhaps the original owner didn't want it put on? Or, I have also heard rumours that more than 480 Celebrations, actually, made there way onto the market so some got through without numbers. Anyone got any thoughts? I intend to contact Mill Garages in Stockton but I am not hopeful of them having detailed records back to September 1995...
My plan is to swap over to Lily anything that is in better condition (primarily the headlining which is perfect, whereas Lily's is sagging a little bit in places) and clean/do her up generally - the main thing at the moment though is it means I can keep driving a 480 through the winter when Lily is safely tucked up in bed...
David